Utility kits with support means therefor



D. R. SALTER UTILITY KITS WITH SUPPORT MEANS THEREFOR March 10, 1959 A. r .v l 1 s p,

' INVENTOR. Douglas R.Solter UTILITY KITS WITH SUPPORT MEANS THEREFOR Application April 10, 1957, Serial No.652 ,001.

4 Claims. or. 248-359) This invention relates to a utility kit with new support means therefor. The support means is carried by the kit and is preferably of the type that when not in use is stored within the kit when the latter is closed, and when the kit is used, the support means is movable from the interior of the same to the exterior and this support means is attachable to a surface, particularly a vertical surface, and thus holds or supports the kit in a more or less fixed manner whereby the contents thereof may be taken from and replaced therein.

Utility kits and similar receptacles that contain various articles of toiletries for both men and women, and particularly the type of utility kits that are taken along on trips, as presently available on the market are mighty convenient for storing the articles of toiletries, etc. therein, but the matter of placing these kits down on a surface and having the same remain stationary sometimes presents ditliculties, particularly when the kit is in use and the travel is by rail, air or sea, and in accommodations such as the restrooms for men and women in railway cars and similarly in airplanes and sea-going vessels, and other stationary places such as hotels, restaurants, etc., and in-these former places particularly where the receptacle might well be in the form of a ladys handbag or purse or the'like, the kits are apt to be tossed around due to motions of the trains, planes and vessels.

In the present invention thereis whatmight beitermed a built-in support means which is normally stored within the kit and is adapted to be swung outwardly therefrom when the kit is opened whereby this support means may be attached to a vertical surface such as a mirror on a wall or the wall itself, or the front of a cabinet, and the kit when so supported is of the type that might be opened and the individual could readily take from and replace toiletries, or whatever is needed, at will and be assured that the kit would remain stationary and would not be slipping off of horizontally supported surfaces on to the floor or the like.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a kit having a novel built-in support means for supporting the kit on vertical or other surfaces to hold the same in a more or less stationary condition and to permit articles to be readily taken therefrom and replaced therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a kit with a support means that is secured or connected in such a manner interiorly of the kit so as to permit this support means or a portion thereof to be moved so as to be moved exteriorly of the kit and this exteriorly extending portion has means thereon whereby the same is attachable to a wall or other surface and thus suspend or hang the kit in a more or less fixed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sup porting means normally disposed within a kit when the latter is closed such as by a cover or a zipper means, and this support is swingably mounted so that end portions thereof having one or more suction cups thereon may be swung exteriorly of the kit when the latter is opened and the suction cups being adaptable for securing and holding the kit attached to any desirable surface and yet permit ready removal of any or all of the contents thereof and if desired, which is usually the case, the replacement of the contents.

Another object is to provide a receptacle of the class described with a simple yet very efiective new supporting means associated therewith which will not add materially to the overall cost thereof and increase immensely its utility.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Fig. l is a perspective 'view of the kit showing the support means extending" outside the receptacle and in engagement with a supporting surface;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the supporting unit as disposed interiorly of the kit;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on lines 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the unitary structure comprising the support means.

Referring specifically to the drawings wherein the same references, numerals and characters in the several figures denote corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawing, there is disclosed a substantially rectangularly shaped kit K of leather or other suitable material. This kit is of the type that has the top zipper closure and such zipper closure being denoted at Z and the same extends completely around the top edge of the case when it is opened as shown in Fig. 1. The zipper fastener Z is conventional and is closed by the movable slide S as usual. This particular case when closed is of the type wherein opposite end portions E thereof comprise substantially triangular portions that taper downwardly of each end of the kit.' The general triangular shape and the tapering or folding downwardly is partially discernible even when the kit is opened, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. Opposite the slide S as opened and as seen in Fig. 1, there is disclosed a loop L. This 'loop L remains outside of the case when the zipper Z 'is closed and the whole case may be picked up by this loop if desired.

Thejzipper 2 as usual comprises the interengaging and interlocking fingers or pins Z, and these pins are mounted on the zipperipincarrying tape T- This tape T has its lower'edge portion positioned between the open ends of a combined finishing and zipper carrying strip 5. This strip 5 may be of leather or other suitable flexible material and is folded upon itself as at 6. Spaced apart rows or lines of stitching 7 and 8 serve respectively to attach the zipper tape to strip 5 and to provide a sort of pocket or recess P into which there is disposed a reinforcing rod R, preferably of metal or other suitable stifi but flexible and perhaps resilient material. This reinforcing rod or wire extends complete around the pocket formed by strip 5 and does impart a certain amount of rigidity to the kit when it is opened and closed by the zipper.

The folded over strip 5, which actually comprises parallelly disposed portions 5' and 5", is held in association with the upper marginal portion 9 of the outer wall W of the kit by means of a line of stitching 10.

The actual supporting means for the kit, handbag, purse or the like, is a unitary structure and comprises a strip of preferably leather 11, but which may be of a more rigid material, that is folded longitudinally upon itself as at 12 and when secured as by the longitudinal stitching 13, or the equivalent, provides an elongated sleeve 14. In this sleeve there is disposed the intermediate portion 15 of a substantially U-shaped member 16 and the extremeties of the portion 16 terminate in right angularly' disposed" arms 17 and 18. The arm portions are exteriorly of the ends of the elongated folded over strip 11. This strip 11 in the sleeve portion 14' thereof actually is a bearing means for the intermediate portion 15 of the U-shaped support. The extreme outer end of each of the arms 17 and 18' may be in the form of an eye 19. A suction cup 20,. having a bolt 21, preferably molded in the reduced portion 22 thereof and extending therebeyond, projects through the eye on each of the arms 17 and 18, and these suction cups are maintained in place by a suitable bolt B or the like. In lieu of the suction cups, and if there were sufiicient books or the like available, the eyes at the ends of the arms may be utilized to' engage over suitable hooks, nails or the like for support of the kit. However, suction cups are. the preferred means for securing the kit to a particular surface.

The unitary supporting means as clearly seen in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings,is associated with the kit in a very novel manner, in that the unit, best seen in Fig. 3, is'attached by simply disposingthe inner portion 23 thereof in substantial parallelism with and against the inner strip and employing a row of stitching 24 which passes through an infolded part 25 of a lining 26.

When the kit is to be used, the zipper Z is simply opened and the support means 16 is swung from the position within the kit as shown in Fig. 3, to a position exteriorly thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, thus disposing portions of the arms 17 and 18 of the suction cups at the ends thereof exteriorly of the kit and enabling these suction cups to be placed against a mirrored surface M or any other smooth fiat surface for supporting and holding the kit in a more or less stationary position. In viewing the kit as in Fig. 1, it will be seen that the contents may be very readily taken from and placed into the kit when supported and held by the suction cups or the like and will be in a fixed position with no chance of the kit being spilled over or dumped on the floor.

It is conceivable that instead of rotating or swinging the support means from within the kit to the exterior thereof, this means may be moved otherwise such as by sliding or any other desired movement. The invention is directed broadly to the support means beingnormally within the kit when closed and simply adapted to be moved so as to extend exteriorly of the kit when in use.

Additionally, two suction cups have been shown but, in some instances, a single suction cup or a single arm may be swingable from within the kit to the exterior thereof and be suflicient to support smaller utility kits. So, therefore, the invention contemplates the use of one or more suction cups or any swivel means on an arm or the like movable from within the container to the exterior thereof and this arm being attachable to a supporting surface and whereby the kit is actually suspended from or attached to the wall, mirror or the like.

The kit may have a pivoted or other removable type closure and the zipper dispensed with, but of course regardless of the type of closure means embodied with the kit, the support means will be as hereinbefore described.

The unitary support means within the kit or the like occupies such a small area that it does not interfere in any way with the usual contents of these receptacles.

I claim:

1. A utility kit comprising a receptacle having opposite side, end and bottom walls and a top opening, and means for closing said-opening, a U-shaped support member for supporting said kit, when opened, in suspended relation against an upright surface, said support member presenting a bight portion and a pair of arms projecting laterally therefrom, means pivotally mounting said bight portion on the inner side of one of said side walls parallel to and immediately adjacent saidtop opening to permit the support member to be rotated between a position in which the entire support member is contained within the kit and a position in which the major extent of said arms is projected upwardly out of said kit, said arms being spaced a substantial distance apart, and means fixed to the free end of each arm for attachment to an upright surface whereby to provide spaced apart points of suspension for said kit.

2. The utility kit according to claim 1 wherein the last mentioned means comprises a suction cup fixed to the free end of'each of said arms.

3. The utility kit according to claim 1 wherein said means pivotally mounting said bight portion of the support member comprises an elongate sleeve fixed to the inner side of said one side wall and substantially coexten sive in length with said bight portion.

4. The utility kit according to claim 1 wherein said means pivotallymounting said bight portion of the support member comprises an elongate sleeve fixed to the inner side of said one side wall and substantially coextensive in length with said bight portion, and the last mentioned means comprising a suction cup fixed to the free end of each of said arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 510,072 Le Brun Dec. 5, 1893 1,597,640 Vordemfelde Aug. 24, 1926 1,905,069 Stair Apr. 25, 1933 1,953,877 Chase Apr. 3, 1934 2,726,837 Jameson 1 Dec. 13, 1955 

